Folding container or box



July 18, 1933. G. ANCIRA FOLDING CONTAINER OR BOX Filed Oct. 9, 1951 INVENTOR Anti/fa;

WITNESSES ATTORNEY Patented July 18, 1933 PATENT OFFICE GONZALO ANCIRA, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS FOLDING CONTAINER OR BOX Application filed October 9, 1981.

This invention relates to folding containers or boxes. 0

An object of the invention is the provision of a foldable container or box made of heavy cardboard which is provided with flaps so constructed that they may be interlocked, thereby closing the box to such an extent that it will be necessary to cutor tear the flaps in order to open the container, thus eliminating the necessity of employing glue for sealing the box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a folding container or box for protecting merchandise contained therein from 7 pilfering, substitution, or adulturations since the box cannot be opened without being torn or destroyed.

A still further 'object of the invention 15 the provision of a blank having foldable sections to form the walls of a container with projecting flaps so constructed that when'the fla s are placed in position they will be interlocked.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

F i re 1 is a view in perspective of a foldable ox constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of a blank showing the first stage of folding the blank to form a box,

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the box disclosing a second step in the method of foldin the box,

igure 4 is a transverse vertical section of the box showing the interlocking flaps being moved to their final locking position,

Figure 5 is a section similar to the section shown in Fig. 4 showing the interior of the box with the flaps interlocked, and

Figure 6 is a plan view of a blank for forming the box shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 6, the numerals 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the blank represent the four walls of a box which are creased or indented along the dotted lines, designated Serial 1T0. 567,828.

by the numeral 14, whereby the sides may be folded into position. A flap 15 is formed on the outer longitudinal edge of the side wall 10 and is indented or creased, as indicated by the dotted line 16, so'that the flap may be folded inwardly towards the side wall 10.

Flaps 17 project outwardly-from the opposite ends of the wall 10 while flaps 18 and 19 project respectively from the opposite ends of the side walls 11 and 12; Dotted lines 20 indicate indentations or creases whereby the flaps 17 to 19, inclusive, may be bent upwardly at right angles to the respective sides 10, 11 and 12. From the opposite ends of the side wall 13 project flaps 21 which are constructed in a different m'anner from the flaps 17 to 19, inclusive. The outer edges of the flaps 21 are curved, as shown at 22, along the arc of the circle which has for its radius the width of the side wall 13. The center of the circle being located at 22" forms an intersection between the creases 20 and the crease 14 between the side walls 12 and 13.

The flaps 21 are cut away along their inner edges at an angle approximating 45 to provide an inclined edge 23, the edge terminating at its outer end at 24 and a trian larlyshaped tab 25 projects outwardly rom an indented portion, desi which is at substantial y a right angle to the crease 20 of the side wall v13. While I have stated that the edges 23 are inclined at an angle of 45 to the dotted lines 20 in the form shown in the drawing and when the walls are of equal widths, it will be appreciated that the angle will vary when two walls have less width than the other alternate walls.

Each of the flaps 17 to 19, inclusive, like wise have a cut-out portion forming an inclined edge 30- and an inclined edge 31 which meet to form an angle having an apex at 32, thereby providing a tab 33 at their outer forward ends.

An im ortant feature of the resent invention resi es in the fact that the aps are interlocked through the cut-out portions in said fla s and this is accomplished b the interloc ing tab 25. It is important, owever, to attain this result to have the sum of the angles between the inclined edges 30 and 31 of the flap 19 and the angle between the inclined edges 23 and 35 of the flap 21 to be greater than 90.

The blank shown in Fig. 6 is first folded along the lines 14 to disclose the side walls of ated by the line 26,

the box. The flaps 17 to 19, inclusive, and 21, are then bent outwardly at substantially right angles to their respective side walls, the bending taking place along the lines 20, as indicated in Fig. 6.

The first stage of forming the box is shown in Fig. 2. The side wall 10 is now bent outwardly from the side wall 11 and the flap 17 is moved inwardly as is flap 18. It will be noted that between the inclined wall 31 of flap 18 and the inclined wall 30 of flap 17 is provided an angular space which is acute in order to receive the tab 36 of flap 19.

The next step is disclosed in Fi 3 in which the side wall 12 is bent upwar ly at right angles to the side wall 11 and the flap 19 is bent laterally to the side wall 12 with the tab 36 being placed within the angular space between the inclined walls 30 and 31, respectively, of the flaps 17 and 18. In this position of the partially assembled box, the application of the side wall 13 and the flap 21 may be made. Since the side wall 13 has been bent along the line 14 it may be readily moved downwardly closing the box after merchandise has been placed in said box. Before, however, the side wall 13 and the flaps 21 are moved into position, the tabs 25 are bent inwardly along the dotted lines 26 and in flat contact with the inner faces of the flaps 21, as shown in Fig. 3. The flap 15 is moved inwardly at a substantially right angle to the side wall 10 so that it will engage the inner face of the side wall 13. The side wall 13 or top is then moved inwardly together with the flaps 21 with the outer face of the flap 21 moving inwardly against the inner face of the flap 17 while the folded tab 25 moves downwardly between the outer face of the tab 36 of the flap 19 until the tab 25 clears the inclined edge 31 of the tab 36 whence it will spring outwardly and en age beneath the tab 36. The movements 0 the flaps 21 are clearly shown in Fig. 4 just before the tab 25 clears the tab 36.

In Fig. 5 the tab 25 is shown in engagement beneath the tab 36 of the flap 19.

From a careful inspection of Fig. 5 it will be found that all of the apices of the notched portions of the flaps 17 to 19, inclusive, and 21 align in a single point which is located substantially axially of the end walls of the box of the container.

As shown in the blank in Fig. 6 all of the cut-out portions or notched portions of the flaps extend in one direction.

While I have shown and described the notches and side edges of the flaps 17, 18, 19 and 21 as substantially V-shaped, it will be appreciated that a slit may be employed or that the notches may have their side edges curved instead of straight. An important feature, however, is some form of opening in similar side edges of the flaps to provide an 3 interlocking point for all of the flaps when the box has been assembled while roviding projecting tabs on the side edges ot the flaps, with one tab forming the interlocking means to prevent the removal of the flaps after the container has been assembled.

I claim:

1. A foldable container comprising side walls and end walls formed of interlocking flaps projecting outwardly from the ends of the side walls and provided with notches extending in the same direction with the extreme inner ends of the notches meeting in a point located within the end walls, one of the flaps having a foldable tab defining one edge of its respective notch with the said edge engaging beneath an edge of a notch of an adjacent flap for rigidly locking the flaps and side walls against removal, the flap having the foldable tab being cut away along an arc to provide a rounded outer edge.

2. A foldable container comprising side walls and end walls formed of interlocking flaps, said flaps being formed integrally with the opposite ends of the side walls, similar side edges of the flaps being provided with notches with the extreme inner ends of the notches meeting at a common point in an end wall, one of the fiaps having a foldable tab which is adapted to enga e an edge of the notch in an adjacent fiap For rigidly locking the flaps and side walls against removal, the flap having the foldable tab being cut away along an arc to provide a rounded outer edge.

3. A foldable container comprising side walls and end walls formed of a plurality of flaps integral with the opposite ends of the side walls, each of the flaps having notches, the flaps of an adjacent pair of side walls lying in flat contact with each other and extending at right angles to each other with a side edge of one notch in a flap forming a tapered opening with a side ed e of the notch in the other flap, a tab on a ap of a third side wall received within the tapered opening, a tab on the remaining side wall being engaged beneath the last-mentioned tab for rigid locking of the flaps and side wall against removal, the flaps on the last-mentioned side wall being cut away along their outer edge to provide a rounded outer portion.

4. A blank for forming a foldable container comprising a strip of material indented transversely along lines for indicating the walls of the container, spaced flaps projecting outwardly from the side edges of the strip and limited in length and width by the widths of the indicated side walls, each flap along similarly disposed side edges being provided with notches, the flaps adjacent one end of the strip having its outer edge curved and forming with its notch a foldable tab, the opposite end of the strip being provided with a bendable flap extending along the width of the strip.

GONZALO ANCIRA. 

